Champions of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, India will look to run a few tests when they take on Bangladesh in their warm-up match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Saturday.
Besides testing the ground conditions and the nature of the drop-in pitches being used at the venue — where India will play their first three group matches against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA — Rohit Sharma’s team will look to find answers to a few key questions that will help the captain and head coach Rahul Dravid decide on the preferred playing XI.
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar discussed India’s likely objectives on Star Sports for their only warm-up game before the campaign opener against Ireland on June 5.
Opening Combination
“Who will open — the left-right combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, or should Virat Kohli open?” Manjrekar pondered.
India may consider having one left-hander and one right-hander at the top, which could automatically book Jaiswal one of the opening slots. The decision would then be between Rohit and Virat, who has opened successfully in the format for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. However, will Rohit be comfortable batting at No. 3, or will the team stick with the tried and tested formula and let Virat continue at No. 3?
Manjrekar also pointed to another interesting possibility: “Maybe Yashasvi Jaiswal is not in the playing XI when the tournament begins, which might be a solution.”
The warm-up game permits teams to utilize all 15 players in their respective squads.
Choice of Wicketkeeper-Batsman
“Who are you looking to prefer, Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant? I feel the earlier you bring Pant back in India colours in this tournament, the better. Maybe it starts with the warm-up match,” reckoned Manjrekar.
Preferred Spinners
“We know what we get with Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, who offer the option to bat deep. Kuldeep Yadav is in very good form. Yuzvendra Chahal in India colours is one of their main spinners. His form waned a little towards the end of the Indian Premier League, but there’s no direct connection between domestic league performance and international play, where the batters are under more pressure. Chahal might have a good time. So Chahal’s form will be crucial,” said Manjrekar.
“All these aspects need to be addressed in the warm-up match,” he concluded.
